Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the NBA season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Irving went down in the team’s 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night as he was driving to the hoop late in the first quarter. His left knee bent awkwardly as he attempted a layup, crashed to the court hard and immediately called for a trainer.
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Despite the fall, Irving remained in the game to shoot free throws after drawing the foul, but then was helped off the court without putting much weight on his leg as he went back to the locker room.
The team quickly ruled Irving out with a left knee sprain. He finished with seven points, one rebound and one assist in nine minutes.
The Mavericks are 32-30 on the season and sit in the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Irving’s injury is just another moment in a tough season for the franchise. Already without big men Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, Anthony Davis, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Dončić, has played just once since the deal after injuring his adductor in his first game with Dallas.
Guard Jaden Hardy was also lost on Monday night after suffering an ankle injury in the second half.
“[T]he injuries we’ve had this season, guys are trying to hold it together to get other bodies back,” said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd on Monday. “And then it just seems every time we get close to getting someone back, someone else goes down.
“We’re running out of bodies here. But guys keep fighting.”
Irving, in his 15th NBA season, averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 50 games this season while averaging over 36 minutes a night. He’s the only player in the NBA this season averaging 20 points, 40% shooting from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line.
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